Process of purifying gas



- 1,632,758 w. H. FULWEILER ET AL- PROCESS OF PURIF YING GAS Jling14,1927.

Filed June 24, -l926 2 Sheets-Sheet l was June 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,632,758 PATENT OFFICE.

V WALTER H. FULW-EILER, OF WALLINGFORD. AND CLAUDE W. JORDAN, OFNORWOOD,

PENNSYLVANIL ABSIGHORB TO THE U. G. I. CONTRACTING COMPANY, 03' PHILA-DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

\ PROCESS OF PURIFYING GAS.

Application filed 11111034, 1928. Serial No. 118.384.

Impurities, more particularly hydrogen sulphide,are removed fromilluminating and other gas b scrubbing it with a solution of sodium carhate or salt that is sutiicicntly 5 alkaline for the purpose. Thesolution thus fouled is fitted for reuse or revivitied by passingsubdivided air through the solution.

The present invention relates to that step in the process which consistsin revivitying the foul solution of alkali sulph -ydrate by passing airthrough it and more particularly to im 'rovements in that step.

Ob ects of the invention are to'provide a dual air control; to avoidoxidizing the sodium sulphydrate to thiosulphate; to control the foamingoil of sulphur; and to improve the revivification of the foul solution.

To these and other ends hereinafter set forth the invention, generallystated, may

be said to comprise the step in revivif ing the foul solution of analkali sulphy rate which consists in stirring the solution with arapidly moving immersed paddle, passing finely divided air through thesolution by introducing air under the addle, and selectively controllingthe sub ivision of the air by the speed of the paddle and the depth ofits immersion and the quantity of air.

The invention also comprisesthe im rove- 3c ments to be presentlydescribed and nally claimed.

. The invention ma be practiced by means of the ap aratus ill ustratedin the accompanying rawing forming part hereofand m which- I Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view principally in section illustrating a spumerarranged in a tank.

Fig. '2 is a perspective view of the spumer,

40 and s Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view princi ally in sectionillustratin a modification o the apparatus shown in 'igs. 1 and 2.

' .In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

46 1 is a tank or receptacle having an inlet connection 2 and anoutletconnection 3 and a foam receiving trough 4. 5 is a s umer shown asarranged beneath a baflle p ate 6, and together these elementsconstitute a pad- 50 dle. The spumer is rotated by means indicated at 7at a speed that may be varied. Air in regulated quantity is blown intoand through the spumer by means indicated at 8.

The practice of the process of the invention in connection with theapparatus shown N5 in the drawing may he described as follows:

The foul solution, consisting of sodium sulphydratc and resulting fromscrubbing gas with a solution of sodium carbonate containing a catalystof which a relatively small quantity of soluble iron salt in a form notprecipitatable by hydrogen sulphide is an example asses by- 2 into thetank or receptacle 1 w iere it'has passed throu h it from under theimmersed paddle relativel finely divided air which decomposes t e soiumsulphydrate setting free sulphur as such and reforming the original saltso lotion, and also relatively coarsely divided air which teams ed thesulphur asit is set free. The foam carrying sul hur collects or iscollected in the troug 4, and the original salt or reviviiied solutionis ied olf by 3 for reuse for scrubbing gas. By changing the speed ofrotation of the spumer or paddle, the quantity of finely divided air isincreased or diminished, an by blowing more or less air into the spumerthe quantity of coarsely divided air is varied so that there is a dualair control and there is also an eitn cient and comparatively simpleapplication of the air in finely divided condition. The depth ofimmersion of the paddle is also a factor in the air control.

' The practice of the process in connection with the apparatusillustrated in Fig. 3 is as has been above described-in connection with.Figs. 1 and 2, however, in Fig.3 the coarsely and finely divided airsupply is introduced by means of a fixed rose or perforated nozzle 9connected with a fixed regulatable air sup ply 8, and by means of apaddle 10, or ranged above the rose or nozzle 9 and to tated by means ofa shaft 11 and ulley 12.

In the foregoing description re erence to sodium carbonate is intendedto include so lutions of a salt that are sufficiently alkaline to absorbhydrogen sulphide from gas.

It wili be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates that modi fications may be made in details of procedure and inmatters of mere form without depart ing from the spirit of the inventionwhich is not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art andthe appended claims may require.

We claim:

1. In the process of purifying gas the int provement in 'revivif in thefoul solution of alkali sulphydrate w to consists in stirring thesolution with a rapidl moving ,immersed 'paddle, passing fine divide airthrough the Solution by intr ucing air un der the addle, and selectivelycontrolling the subivision of the air by the speed ofthe paddlephd thedepth of its immersion and the supply of air.

' 2. In the process of purifying g ns the improvement in i'evivifymg thefoul solution of alkali sulphydi'ute which consists in stirring thesolution with a rapidly moving immersed paddle, and passing selectivelysubdivided air through the solution by introducing air under the paddle.

CLAUDE \V. J ORDAN WALTER H. FULWEILER.

